My Journey

Ever since I was young, I was drawn to science. I was the kid who asked for slime kits, a microscope, and DIY chemistry kits. I didn’t realize it then, but I was already exploring how the world worked and how I could shape it.

My great-grandmother, Nermiye, was one of the first girls in Turkey to attend high school after Atatürk’s (the founder and first president (1923–1938) of the Republic of Turkey) reforms. She remained a source of strength, wisdom, and inspiration for over a century. When she passed away at the age of 103, I felt a deep need to preserve her memory.

I have never considered myself a writer — but I wrote a memoir about her as a way to reflect, honor her life, and hold onto the stories she shared with me. That piece, “The Girl in the Picture”, ended up receiving a Silver Key award from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

Her story has also been featured in Turkish newspapers:

• 📰 “Fotograftaki Kız Anlattı – O Günün Öyküsü” – Ege Postası
• 📖 “Cumhuriyet Çınarından Anılar” – 24 Saat Gazetesi

Below: My Silver Key award certificate for “The Girl in the Picture.”

I enrolled in the Pre-Medical Science Diploma Track at The Village High School not just because I loved science, but because I wanted to challenge myself with real exposure to medicine, to find out if this path I was drawn to could become a calling.

The Village High School’s Pre-Medical Science Diploma Track is a rigorous academic program designed for students planning careers in medicine and healthcare. It combines coursework in anatomy, medical terminology, global health, and ethics with hands-on learning — including CPR training, physician shadowing, and partnerships with medical professionals in Houston.

This program gave me early exposure to both foundational knowledge and clinical skills. I especially enjoyed courses in psychology, public health, and integration real-world decision making.

Certified in Basic Life Support (BLS) – American Heart Association

Over the past two summers, I had the opportunity to shadow Dr. Damla Karsan, a respected OB/GYN in Houston. I observed a wide range of patient care — In 2023, I spent time learning the flow of clinical care from patient check-ins to observing consultations related to birth control, menopause, and prenatal health. In 2024, I witnessed a live birth at the hospital and observed how cultural considerations like sunnah practices for newborns were integrated into care. I also had the rare opportunity to listen in on legal conversations surrounding reproductive health, gaining a fuller understanding of the ethical and social frameworks that shape medicine.

What fascinated me most was the psychological side of medicine: how patients process information, how doctors choose words in sensitive moments, and how trust is built through tone, empathy, and timing. These moments gave me a deeper appreciation for the mental and emotional layers of clinical care.

As someone drawn to both medicine and psychology, I came away seeing the exam room not just as a place for diagnoses, but as a space where understanding the human mind is just as important as understanding the human body.

Outside the hospital where I shadowed OB/GYN Dr. Karsan.

I wanted to try research because I hoped it would give me a closer look at how medical ideas move from hypothesis to reality. As someone interested in both medicine and psychology, I wanted more than textbook knowledge — I wanted to see how real decisions get made, and how evidence can actually change lives.

I asked my uncle, who’s a physician, if he knew someone I could learn from. He introduced me to Dr. Volkan Beylergil from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. After reaching out on my own, I was invited to work on an independent project under his guidance and that is where my research journey began.

We focused on prostate cancer screening, and whether multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) could reduce overdiagnosis compared to PSA testing. I analyzed major clinical trials like STHLM3-MRI, PROMIS, and PRECISION, and found that mpMRI reduces unnecessary biopsies by almost 30% — without missing significant cancers.

What stood out most was how even a strong solution isn’t always widely used. Cost, access, and radiologist expertise all play a role — and it made me realize that data is just the beginning. Implementation, ethics, and equity matter just as much.

I turned this work into a manuscript, which is now published at Curieux Academic Journal. It wasn’t easy, but it showed me how powerful a single question can be when you follow it far enough.

Citation : Gurses, Ece, Evaluating MRI in Prostate Cancer Screening: Can It Reduce Overdiagnosis and Improve Outcomes? Originally published in the Curieux Academic Journal (peer-reviewed), Issue 50, May 2025, Part 3, pp. 173–182, URL: https://www.curieuxacademicjournal.com/spring-summer2025 , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=5282676 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5282676

Want to read more? You can view the full abstract and reflection here:

📘 Read My Research Abstract Blog Post

I am now working on a second project with Professor Cynthia van Golen, a neuroscientist at Delaware State University, focused on how technology might reduce social isolation in elderly populations. It is finalized and submitted to Frontiers journal and thought me a lot about human behavior, emotional wellness, and how psychology and digital health can come together in meaningful ways.

Through both projects, I have learned that research is not just about solving problems, it is about asking thoughtful questions and learning to listen to what the data and people are telling you.

Coming soon: Stories from Project C.U.R.E., community service, and my STEM learning journey in Japan.

Coming soon: How I used coding to build emotional wellness apps for teens, and why tech is part of my toolkit.

Coming soon: My future aspirations in medicine and psychology — and how I hope to grow from here.